In just under a year, for three days, as many as 2800 athletes will put their competitive training to the test in 18 sports at venues throughout the Cowichan Valley. From Mill Bay and Shawnigan Lake...

The BC Games Society announced today the 18 sports that will be part of the Cowichan 2018 BC Summer Games. Up to 2808 athletes, 543 coaches, and 373 officials will gather on Vancouver Island for four...

16 outstanding youth leaders were recognized with a Coast Capital Savings Leadership Bursary at the Closing Ceremony of the 2016 BC Summer Games in Abbotsford.
The bursary recipients were chosen from...

Teams competed in Abbotsford this morning at the BC Summer Games in girls soccer, boys soccer and beach volleyball.
See our coverage from today so far:
Girls soccer: Fraser Valley 4-0 over Caribou North...

Vancouver overcame an early 1-0 deficit to beat Vancouver Island 2-1 in boys soccer this morning at the Matsqui Recreation Centre field in Abbotsford.
The two rivals gave it their all as the play is...

The local Fraser Valley team beat Caribou North East decisively 4-0 in their first game of the BC Summer Games.
Abby Berg got her first of two goals in the match only moments after the opening whistle...

The "beautiful game", soccer (or football) is the world’s most popular sport played by over 250 million people in over 200 countries. Origins of the sport date back to ancient Greece and Rome, but the modern rules of the games are based on the mid-19th century efforts to standardize the various forms of football being played in England. The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was formed in 1904 and governs the sport internationally. In Canada and the United States, the game is primarily called soccer, but it is known as football in most other countries. Included in the Olympic Program every year except 1896 and 1932 for men and introduced in 1996 for women, the ultimate competition for the game is the FIFA World Cup played every four years.

Soccer Facts

Throw-in – restart of play when the ball has exited the side of the field

Corner kick – restart of play when the ball crosses the goal line without a goal being scored

Pitch – field of play

There are 17 Laws in the FIFA Laws of the Game

Soccer is traditionally played by two teams of 11 players on a pitch measuring approximately 100-110 meters by 64-75 meters. As part of Soccer Canada’s “Wellness to World Cup” Long Term Player Development (LTPD), young athletes up to under 12 years of age play smaller versions of the game.

Beginning in 2016, the BC Summer Games will feature athletes under 15 years of age (previously younger athletes attended the Games). Every player at the BC Games has the opportunity to display his/her talent and be evaluated by High Performance Coaches involved with BC Soccer’s Player Development Pathway.

The BC Summer Games is an important development opportunity for coaches and referees. A minimum level of ‘Soccer for Life’ for assistant coaches and Provincial B for head coaches is required to ensure all athletes have access to a properly trained coach. All coaches are also expected to have completed the "Respect in Sport" program.

Referees are selected from across the province based on merit and ambition to progress as a referee and each will receive assessments while at the Games.

BC Soccer is comprised of 150 member clubs, districts and leagues, spanning more than 120,000 registered players, over 2,500 referees, and thousands of coaches and other volunteer administrators and soccer leaders.